Fulminic acid

Fulminic acid is an unstable, highly toxic acid with formula HCNO. Its salts, called fulminates, are sensitive explosives.

Fulminate: A salt or ester of fulminic acid containing the fulminate group, commonly associated with explosive compounds. These compounds are the characteristic salts formed from fulminic acid.
Mercury fulminate: A highly sensitive explosive compound with formula Hg(CNO)₂, historically used in detonators. It is a prominent fulminate whose explosive decomposition made the acid family practically consequential.
Edward Charles Howard: An English chemist whose early nineteenth-century experiments included the study of fulminates. His work on mercury fulminate helped establish the chemistry of fulminic acid’s salts.
Percussion cap: A small ignition device that uses impact-sensitive material to ignite a propellant charge. Fulminates enabled compact, impact-triggered ignition in early percussion systems.
Isocyanic acid: A toxic acid with formula HNCO, an isomer of fulminic acid. Its different atom connectivity shows how HCNO and HNCO formulas can describe distinct substances.
Silver fulminate: An extremely sensitive explosive silver salt of fulminic acid. Its pronounced sensitivity illustrates the hazards associated with fulminate salts.
Justus von Liebig: A German chemist who helped develop organic chemistry and investigated fulminic acid compounds. His research with Friedrich Wöhler clarified the relationship between fulminic and cyanic compounds.
Blasting cap: A small explosive device used to initiate the detonation of a larger explosive charge. Fulminate compounds have been used as initiating materials in blasting caps.
Cyanic acid: An unstable acid with formula HOCN, isomeric with fulminic acid. Its HOCN arrangement is another structural isomer with the same elemental composition.
Detonator: A device or component that initiates the detonation of an explosive charge. Fulminates can serve as initiating explosives in detonator systems.

Linked from 1 page

Mercury(II) fulminateRelated: Mercury fulminate is a salt derived from this acid.